The Scarlet Zinnia
by Roma Sae Eiden
Summary: When she came to Redwall in the depths of winter, he was confronted by the past he thought he'd left behind...
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

She trudged through the midwinter drifts of Mossflower wood, half conscious and completely freezing. She pulled her gray cloak tightly around her, and pushed herself onward. The sun had almost completely set, and the wind bit at her face. She tripped and fell, her arms stretched to catch her fall, when she noticed that she had landed on a path. Pulling back her hood, she smiled and stood. Forgetting her composure, she started running, faster and faster, until a red fortification was visible through the raging gusts of snow. Her footpaws were sore, and she was tired, but she still managed to run the rest of the way to the gates of the red castle.

She banged her paws to the door, too tired to yell. After a few minutes, a tall red squirrel with one ear opened the solid wooden doors. She was instantly alert, and ran out to the maid outside. "You alright, missie? What're you doin' out in this weather? Who're you?"

The maid smiled—she had come to her destination. "Late…"

She collapsed in the squirrel's arms.


	2. Rose

**_Chapter One_**

"Good grief, missy!" Lady Amber pulled the mousemaid up, and carried her through the doorway, calling for help. Gonff, rubbing sleep from his eyes, stumbled out of the gatehouse, and, seeing Amber with her burden, ran to shut the Abbey door. He then turned, baffled, to Amber.

"Amber, who's this? Where'd she come from?"

"I dunno, Gonff, I couldn't sleep, so I was walking around the grounds, I just heard knocking and went to answer the door, and this young mouse smiled at me and said "Late" when I asked who she is. D'you think she's sick? Ran away? I'm at a total loss."

Gonff studied the unconscious mouse. "She probably just got a little weary traveling. I can't really blame the poor girl—it's the middle of winter and almost midnight. She shouldn't even be out in weather like this, mate."

Nodding absent-mindedly, Amber looked at the maid in her arms. "She looks dead tired. I wonder who she is?"

Gonff shook his head. "We have no way of knowing; we'll ask her when she wakes up. Take her to the infirmary; Bella should be there." He paused and yawned, and then added as a tired joke, "you're strong enough to take her there by yourself, aren't ya?"

Amber sniffed defensively. "'Course. Wouldn't call myself a warrior if I couldn't. Go back to bed, Gonff, I don't need any extra help. Sorry for waking you."

"Think nothing of it, matey. I'll be back asleep in no time." He paused. "You think she'll be awake by tomorrow?"

Amber shook her head and turned toward the Abbey. "I'd think so, though I couldn't know for sure. We'll know tomorrow. G'night, Gonff."

Gonff nodded, yawned, and walked back into the gatehouse, as Amber carried her burden up into the infirmary. When she reached the door to the infirmary, she knocked and stood still, waiting for a response. The badger mother of Redwall slept in the infirmary every night since the Abbey was built and was sure to be in the rooms. Amber heard a soft rustling, a yawn and a little grunt (which was Bella pulling herself out of her bed), and then the door opened slightly to show the great striped head of Bella of Brockhall. Bella squinted her brown eyes until she could clearly see the squirrel in front of her. Her eyes grew large and her voice was worried.

"My goodness, Amber, what're you doing up in the middle of the night? You should…" Bella's eyes fell on the pitiful bundle in her paws. Without a word, Bella opened the door wide and stood aside. Amber walked to a bed, pulled back the blankets, placed her load mattress, and pulled the blankets back up.

"Should we try to wake her, or let her sleep?" She asked, as she turned back to the badger.

Bella shook her head. "Let her sleep. I'll stay here and watch her. Poor girl. Go to sleep yourself, now, Amber."

Amber nodded thankfully and walked out of the infirmary. Once she closed the door behind her, Bella walked over and sat on the bed beside the mousemaid, looking at her face. Shaking her head at the wretched and unknown girl in the bed, she stood and walked back to her own bed, and fell asleep.

Morning broke calm but cold over the Abbey. The sun rose over the tops of the barren branches of Mossflower and illuminated the morning-pink walls of her Abbey. The snow glinted like millions of diamonds, twinkling happily as the day was born. Most creatures were snuggled deep in their blankets on this morning, except for a few, and only one of which stood on the ramparts enjoying the beauty as it unfolded.

The good Abbess Germaine always woke with the sun. She stood quietly, paws folded in the wide sleeves of her habit, her back to Mossflower and her eyes to the Abbey in front of her. In the still of the morning, especially in winter, she was surrounded by silence.

She watched as her friend Bella walk out of the Abbey building. The badger shut the door quietly behind her, and looked around for her ancient friend, who was, as always, was standing an early vigil on the Abbey walls. Bella waved at Germaine, and trudged through the morning snow to the Abbey walls.

Moments later, the two friends stood side by side taking in the morning. The Abbess Germaine breathed in heavily, closing her eyes in ecstasy. "Ahhh…Bella, even in the winter my Abbey is beautiful. Can you imagine such a place anywhere else in the whole of this world?"

Bella shook her head a smiled. "Nowhere, I'm sure. At least, none as beautiful."

The Abbes nodded. "Smelling the breakfast cooking, watching the sun rise, this truly is a place of peace and plenty."

Bella nodded.

Abbes Germaine, who had many seasons on her shoulder, could read her friends face like an open book. "What is troubling you, my friend?"

Bella exhaled softly. "Nothing is wrong, really, but I'd ask for your assistance in the infirmary."

The blissful carelessness of the morning left the good Abbesses face. "Has somebeast taken ill?"

Shaking her head, she replied with a smile, "No, friend. Your creatures are all well. Come with me, I'll tell you as we go."

Bella and Abbes Germaine left the wall top and paced a steady course to the infirmary, as they were doing so, the badgermum told the story. "Last night Lady Amber couldn't sleep, and she took to walking around the Abbey grounds. She heard a pounding on the doors, and when she opened them a mousemaid fell into her arms unconscious. She took her to the infirmary. Poor dear hasn't woken up."

As they were walking through Great Hall, they passed by Gonff, who was running away from the kitchens as fast as his chubby legs could carry him. The two friends broke down in laughter as Martin rushed by, hot on his friend's heels. Both the Abbess and Bella halted misstep as the two mice both skidded and slid underneath a table, hardly a sound coming from either of the two friends. Moments later, the Columbine came rushing into Great Hall, a look of exasperation on her face.

"You thieving mice! To think! You two grown Abbey beasts, acting like dibbuns! Lackaday, where'd you two go? Oh, morning to you, Abbess, and you, too, Bella. Have Martin and the gluttonous husband of mine passed this way?"

The Abbess' face was a picture of mock innocence. "No, Columbine, I haven't seen them. Have you, Bella?"

Burying her face in her sleeve, Bella coughed to try to rid herself of her giggles. Unable to speak, she just shook her head.

"Ohhh….cripes. I'll have to punish them later. They took two of my flans off of the ledge as they were cooling. Well, no time to stop and talk, friends. I'll have to see you later. Bye, now!" Columbine smiled and walked back to the kitchen.

Bella collapsed in an uncontrollable fit of laughter, and Germaine smiled at her friend. "Come now, Bella, you're acting like a dibbun, same as Martin and Gonff here." Abbess Germaine turned to the culprits. "Off the ground, you two."

Martin and Gonff crawled out from under the table both of their mouths stuffed with bites from their stolen flans. Martin ran in circles waving his paws n front of his mouth, muttering around his mouthful of flan. "'S hogt! 'S hogt!"

Bella had regained her composure, though she was still giggling to herself. "Of course, Martin, flans that are just pulled out of their ovens tend to be a little warm."

Martin stopped prancing around and stood still, smiling ridiculously with crumbs all over his whiskers.

Gonff was licking his claws, savoring the last of the flavor on them. "Matey, it's obvious that you don't normally steal food right off the counter. If'n you did, you wouldn't notice how hot it is. You get used to it after a while. Oh, Martin, you're covered in crumbs, matey, clean 'em off or you'll get caught!"

Martin laughed and started to clean his whiskers. "We were caught in the process, matey. No escaping it this time. Columbine's sure to punish you later. Thank you for letting us get away with it, Abbess. You, too, Bella."

They both smiled. "For some morning entertainment, anything. Though I do detest lying to your wife, Gonff. She is a wonderful mousewife."

"That she is," Gonff answered. "Though I wish she'd be more open with her food."

Bella turned toward the Abbes. "As wonderful as it is watching two of our champions acting so immature, I think we should go check on our guest now."

Martin flicked a crumb off his paw. "Guest?"

Gonff laughed. "Oh? That mousemaid that stumbled into Amber last night?"

Bella nodded. "Yes."

Gonff belched quietly behind his paw. "She awake?"

"No," the badger answered. "But we're going to check on her."

Martin shrugged. "P'raps she'll wake for lunch. Who is she, anyway?"

All three shook their heads. "We don't really know," Abbess Germaine answered for them. "She was out before they could get anything from her. But we really should leave now. We'll see you two at breakfast."

Martin smiled and gave a small, respectable bow. Gonff, on the other paw, started sneaking back into the kitchens.

As they walked up the stairs to the infirmary, they heard Columbine's shouts as she chased after her husband…again.

They both fell against the walls laughing.

When they walked into the infirmary, they saw the mousemaid leaning up in her bed, looking out the window opposite the room from her, though she looked still looked tired.

"Good morning!" Bella said energetically. "You were asleep when I left this room earlier. How are you?"

The mousemaid smiled. "I'm fine now. I think I was just too tired last night. I'm sorry to have scared you."

Both the Abbes and Bella's eyes went wide when they heard her voice. It was melodic and beautiful, unlike any voice they had ever heard.

The maid laughed. "Am I in Redwall?"

Looking at each other with questioning expressions, they nodded.

"Really? Oh, I have made it!" She clapped her paws together and fell back into the softness of her pillows, her hazel eyes wide with happiness.

Unable to contain her confusion any longer, Bella spread her paws wide and asked. "Who are you, dear?"

She smiled a sweet smile. "My name is Rose."


	3. I'm not dead

Just a short chapter, since I've be gone so long. :D

**Chapter Two**

"Welcome to Redwall, Rose." The Abbess smiled back at her. "I'm Abbess Germaine, and my friend her is Bella."

Rose pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Thank you." She paused, thinking. "Who was the squirrel? The one at the gate last night?"

The Abbess shook her head in amazement; she thought that the mousemaid wouldn't have been able to remember much of what happened before she collapsed. She obviously did. "That was one of our many warriors, Lady Amber."

Rose smiled. "She was kind. I'd like to thank her later, too."

Bella was heartened by their guest's kind and gentle spirit. "You can, later, at breakfast. We'll dress you first. Your clothes are in complete tatters."

Rose looked down at her clothing. Her smile faded. "Oh, I must look horrible." She stood up and got out of her bed, and looked around the room. "But what am I to wear?"

Abbess Germaine was already looking through a cabinet. She pulled out a light green habit and a cream-colored cord girdle. "Here you go, Rose, wear these. You can change in there." She pointed to a closet near the back of the infirmary.

Rose's smile returned as she took the outfit, and turned to the room to change. From behind the door, she started a conversation. "Please, can you tell me more about this Abbey?"

Bella laughed. "What do you want to know?"

Rose emerged from the closet, dressed simply in her light green habit. She twirled in the circle. "How do I look?"

Bella's laugh stopped and her mouth feel open. Rose was beautiful, and she turned even a simple habit into something ravishing. "You look…fine."

Rose scanned around the room and found a small basin of water in the corner. She walked over to it and washed her face. "Can you tell me about the creatures here? What are they like?"

The Abbess raised her head proudly. "They're all good creatures. Kind, strong, yet gentle. We have homely goodwives, enthusiastic—if mischievous—dibbuns, wise elders, strong but humble warriors, as you saw in Amber. I just wouldn't ever want to see our warriors in war again; they're amazing fighters, though Mossflower is now in peace."

Rose stood over the basin, done washing her face. She stared at her reflection in the calm water. "Could you…could you tell me the names of some of these warriors?"

Bella nodded. "Me, for one. Amber, you've seen her, though only for a while. Ben Stickle is a hedgehog that can put up a fight, if he has to, though he's very peaceable. Warthorn, our Skipper of otters, is a tough one, none like him. Gonff, well, he's actually a mousethief but he's as sly as a fox and as mischievous as a dibbun. He's a good fighter when he's backed in a corner. He's the best friend of our Abbey Warrior, Martin. There's none like Martin. He's a tough shell to break. He's unbelievably kind and hardworking. You'll like him."

Rose turned around, her face radiated with a full smile, hazel eyes bright. "Martin?"

Great Hall was bustling with activity as the Redwallers gathered for breakfast. Creatures sat and stood where they wanted, talking animatedly and waiting for breakfast to be served. Martin stood to the side, talking to Gonff, who had just escaped a long talk from his wife. Martin frowned solely to stop from laughing.

"Would you believe it? Then she whacked me right across the paw! All over a flan! You haven't gotten in trouble, no, not Martin!" Gonff hung his head in despair. "No respect for honest mousethieves, these days."

Martin shook his head, trying to hide his smile. "You ate half of mine, you great glutton!" Unable to hide his smile any longer, he smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. "That should teach you, shouldn't it?"

Gonff chuckled quietly. "Nope. I'll be back snatching from the kitchen in the morning."

Martin smiled brighter as Gonff continued laughing. When he had quieted, Martin leaned back against the wall. "I wonder who she is. Our guest, I mean."

Gonff shook his head. "I didn't see her very closely. I'd ask Amber, but she's over there with Breech."

Martin looked over to where the Squirrel Chief stood talking to one of her squirrels.

"I could always talk to her later. I'm sure our guest won't be leaving anytime soon." Martin started walking toward the tables as breakfast was being placed on the tables. Gonff followed behind.

No sooner had they sat down than Bella and Abbess Germaine walked into the room. They had their backs to them, and they heard Abbess Germaine speak her greeting.

"Good morning, good morning. Sorry we're late." Creatures everywhere ran to their seats, ready for breakfast.

Bella walked to her seat, a large chair not far from Martin. She was looking at him quizzically, as if there was something about him she couldn't figure out. Martin frowned. "Bella, are you alright?" She shook her head as if to shake away her thoughts, then turned to stare at her empty plate.

"Redwallers, I would like for you all to turn around and greet out dear guest, Laterose of Noonvale."

All the creatures turned and smiled to her, kinds words spoken by everyone.

Martin jolted upright, turned and jumped from his seat in one clumsy moment. He stood staring at the beautiful hazel-eyed mousemaid from his past. His gray eyes grew wide, filling with tears of either relief or fright. His paws shot up and he began backing up, walking backwards.

Rose laughed, her face brighter than the sun. "Martin! It's so good to see you! I've missed you so much!"

Martin's mouth shot open. It was her voice. Rose's voice. He shook his head over and over again, eyes wide, mouth wide in disbelief.

The smiles had left the faces of all there. None of them understood what was happening. They had never seen their warrior like this. Neither Bella nor Germaine had asked Rose her relation to Martin, but by this moment they wished they had. Rose stood still, her happy face falling, not understanding or expecting what was happening.

Martin continued shaking his head, backing up faster and faster. His was mumbling something incoherent, slowly getting louder. His paws came up and covered his ears, as if trying to stop from hearing something. "No…no…no…no…."

Rose stepped forward. "Martin?"

Martin stopped. His paws fell. He stared at her.

Rose stepped back.

"No…no…no! You're dead. You're dead, Rose, and it was all my fault. _You're dead_!" Martin yelled the last phrase, turned around, and dashed out of Great Hall.

The Redwallers stared at Rose, every one of them bemused and perplexed.

Rose stood still as a statue, one small tear falling from her eye. Her paw open in front of her, unheld. She blinked, and a tear fell into her open paw. She stared at the wet palm of her paw, and pulled it back to her side, she shook her head.

"No, Martin, I'm not dead."


	4. I'm Rose

_Forgive me. This chapter is sickenly romantic. But yay! Here it is!_

**_Chapter Three_**

The uncomfortable silence was held in Great Hall until Rose took the step forward to find Martin. Once she had left the Hall, the Abbeybeasts turned to one another, as if the creature next to him might have an answer. Rose followed where he went. She hadn't even had a tour around Redwall yet, yet somehow she knew where she was going, following some hidden instinct.

She found herself on the Abbey lawns, surrounded by piles and piles of snow. As she looked around, she could see in the barren boughs of the trees the possibility of beauty that spring would reveal. When she looked toward the ground, now covered in the whiteness of winter, she saw the possibility of grass—and Martin's paw prints.

She didn't stop to inspect them; they were too recent to be anyone else's. The wind would have blown any others away. Realizing at that moment that she had forgotten something warm to put on, she pulled her arms around herself, vainly trying to stay warm. She looked around the expanse of the Abbey, marveling in her walls.

It truly was a place of beauty, even in the most dead of the seasons.

Rose watched the ground as she followed the paw tracks. At first they were tracks made of a beast running, then stumbling, then walking. Rose followed his steps—she walked where he ran to the pond, walked where he stumbled toward the wall for support, and walked where he walked to the… Rose didn't know where she was going. As she looked up, she saw his tracks continue toward a house on the side of the wall. The gatehouse.

Coming up toward the door, she saw that it was slightly ajar. She raised her paw to knock. Deciding against it, she pushed the door open.

Martin sat with his back to her, staring at a newly lit fire in the fireplace. His legs were drawn up and his arms were wrapped around his knees. He was breathing heavily, rubbing his paws together, he waited for the warmth of the fire to heat the room.

Shutting the door quietly, Rose turned to walk over to him. Her footpaw hit a floorboard and it squeaked. Martin winced.

"It's you. The maid that said you were Rose." His voice was weak.

Rose walked around the table until she was in front of him. Martin's eyes stayed riveted on the floor.

"Look at me, Martin. I _am_ Rose."

Martin shook his head, eyes now closed.

Shaking her head, Rose sighed. "Why don't you believe it's me? You won't even look at me!"

Martin jumped out of the chair; his eyes wide open, staring her in the face. "I'm looking at you now! Are you happy? I can't, and _will not_ believe that you are Rose. Rose died—seasons ago! How? Because of me! I saw her, dead, in front of me. Dead! You're nothing more than an imposter! Leave this Abbey at once! _Go_!"

Rose smiled. "It is interesting to see your reaction to my 'death', Martin. But I didn't die. I'm right here, with you. I know what it seemed like then, and I know what it seems like now. But I am her. What will it take to convince you?" Her voice was serious now.

He laughed. "Nothing can convince me, because you are not Rose! The Rose I loved is gone in Noon…is gone." Martin turned to leave. As his paw clasped the doorknob, he heard the maid behind her start to sing.

In my heart I have always loved you,

As I do now that you're gone.

The love that we had was honest and true,

Our two hearts beat as one.

How unlikely we were and are,

A daughter of peace and a son of war?

My love, no prince can steal my heart,

My heart is entirely yours.

Neither slavery, nor fortress, nor my father's will,

Could keep me from following you,

Through forest, marshland and hill,

Nothing could stop me from loving you.

But came the end, our various wounds

Both hurt in different ways,

Both by Tyrants gone from battlegrounds

Leaving the peaceful to peaceful days.

But in my heart I've missed my warrior,

Since I never said goodbye,

I stand by the still water in Noonvale,

And cry for our times gone by.

Martin's paw slipped from the doorknob. His eyes opened wide as he turned around to face the mousemaid.

She laughed. "Does that convince you?"

He stumbled forward. Holding his paws out to hers. Rose ran forward into his embrace. Taking his paws, she stood back an examined him. "You have hardly changed, Martin the Warrior, though you are blind to your past."

Martin took his paws from her and threw them around her waist. He picked her up and swing her around in circles, both of them laughing. "Rose, I have waited my entire life to hear your voice…I hear it echo in my dreams, when I'm awake and when I'm asleep…but I've wanted more than anything to hear your voice, to be with you again. I thought death was the only thing that could bring me to you."

Rose laughed. "No, Martin, no. It would have taken you farther away. I never died."

Martin set her back on the floor. He rubbed his paws up and down the sides of her arms. "But…how?"

Rose lifted her arm and steadied his paws, taking them again in hers. "That, my love, is another story entirely." She lapsed into their memories, commenting offhandedly. She lifted one paw and drew it along a scar on his cheek. "Do you remember this scar? The Gawtrybe." She dropped her paw and drew his along his side. "That little ruffian, Dinjer, ran off and you got hurt by that seagull. Dinjer's probably a grown beast now. He's probably even taken over for his mother. She gave you her little sword, and she gave all four of us our freedom back." She lifted her paws and held his face in them, searching his eyes. "And those, those eyes are the same gray eyes that met mine outside the tunnel the day Grumm saved you from Badrang the Tyrant. I'd know you, Martin, a thousand miles away. Like I knew you before I met you." Rose fell into his arms again, resting her head on his chest. Martin's arms tightened around her shoulders.

He breathed into her neck. "And you are the same maid I have loved my entire life, the only one I ever loved."

Rose looked him in the eyes and smiled. "How did I fall in love with the son of war?"

Martin smiled as Rose's song replayed in his head.

"How unlikely we were and are?"

Rose frowned then. "The song is true, Martin. I did cry for you everyday in Noonvale."

"Rose, Rose…" Martin soothed her. "In my heart, I did the same."

The Redwallers continued with their breakfast. Whatever the history between the beautiful mousemaid and the fearless warrior, was a history that was between them and them alone. Every beast had their own thoughts, but Gonff more than the rest cared most. For the first time in his life, he played with his food and didn't eat it.

Columbine looked him over carefully. "Are you all right?" She quickly ducked under the table to snatch Gonflett as he went to run away.

Gonff shook his head, playing with a cold scone.

Taking the hem of her apron, she cleaned her son's face. "Martin never told you anything about a mousemaid before?"

Gonff dropped the scone on the ground and watched it roll away, only to be snatched by another dibbun. "Martin never talked about anything before I met him."

The Abbes Germaine tapped the table loudly. She cleared her throat and waited to the talk to die down. Once it did, she spoke. "Redwallers, Martin's relation with this mousemaid is a topic of curiosity for us all, but I am afraid we cannot find the truth of it unless we consult Martin directly."

Bella nodded. "Agreed. But let's not go at it too quickly, Martin didn't seem to excited to have her here."

The door opened, and in came a blast of cold winter air and the two mice. Martin and Rose talked animatedly, holding paws and smiling at one another. They both seemed completely unaware of the creatures around them. They walked out of the room and onto the staircase, heading to another level.

Bella burst out laughing. "I believe it's safe to say I'm wrong. He seems happier than I have ever seen him!"

A young ottermaid named Taerla laughed. "I think…I think our warrior is in love!"

The Redwallers laughed with her.

Bella coughed. "Taerla, apologize for your statement!"

The Abbes placed a calm paw on her badger friend's arm. "No, Bella my friend, I think our young maid here is right."

Rose took the steps two at a time. She held Martin's paw and practically dragged him after her. "Tell me more about this place, Martin, it's beautiful!"

Martin laughed. "What more is there to know?"

She turned her hazel eyes and locked them with his. "Everything, you foolish beast."

He smiled and sat on the up most step. Rose sighed reluctantly and sat with him. Rose leaned against the wall, staring at Martin.

Martin laughed. "What? Is there some shocking deformity you're trying to find?"

Rose smiled. "No. I just don't ever want to forget what you look like right now. Can you believe it!? We used to be so young! We're as old as my parents now!"

Martin fell into a fit of coughing. "We're not that old…are we?"

Yawning, Rose looked around. "Close enough, anyway. It never really occurred to me how old I was until a season or so ago. Watching Brome…it took the heart out of me. I realized how much time had gone by, and I went to find you."

"Brome! How is he?"

Waving her paw in the air as if proclaiming something unimportant. "He's the Chieftain of Noonvale."

Eyes wide, Martin exclaimed, "I see why you think we're old now! He was so much younger than us, even then."

"Still the same age difference, Martin." She laughed.

"Well, yes, but you know what I mean."

She smiled and leaned back against the wall, eyes closed. "You've said it twice now."

"Said what?"

"That it was you're fault."

He looked away from her. "But it was."

"No, Martin, anything that happened was all my fault. I choose to leave and follow you. If I didn't want anything adventurous to happen to me, I would have listened to my father." She smiled at him.

"I should have protected you better."

"Eh," she shrugged. "Nothing bad came of it."

Martin scoffed. "Half of our lived have been spent without each other! More than that, even…"

Smiling mischievously, Rose asked, "Have you missed me?"

"More than anything."

"Do you love me?"

"With all my heart."

"Was the wait worth it? For us?"

He met her eyes.

"Yes."

Rose leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. "Then that's all that matters."


	5. The Future We'll Have

_**Chapter Four**_

From that moment onward, Martin and Rose were together. They were the first awake and the last asleep, they spend hours in silence, and hour talking, catching up on life. Gonff found the courage to interrupt them from time to time, join them and their conversations. He noticed, to his disappointment, that they never talked about _how _they knew each other, the history behind themselves. The mousethief thought it to early to ask his friend, and didn't know exactly what to ask anyway.

He assumed that their visitor was simply a mousemaid Martin had met on his journeys before he came to Mossflower. Some of the other Redwallers thought the same, and some others still thought she might have been a friend from his childhood.

The only thing was that was certain was that Rose was loved by all the creatures that lived within the Abbey walls. The mousemaid was soft-spoken and beautiful, with a lovely voice to match. She was nearly helpless and cooking and sewing, and she didn't have the same tough warriors spirit that Martin did, but she could stand up for herself in a pinch, and always had something to say for herself.

The young maids envied and admired her, many of which attempted to imitate her singing when they thought she was far away.

They tried that very thing one afternoon by the Abbey pond. A young squirrelmaid stood shyly by a bare tree, kicking lightly at snow with her footpaws as she stared down at them. The competition on who was the better singer started with her that day.

_On goes the seasons,_

_And on goes life._

_The young grow older_

_And make with their lives…_

Rose leaned back against the red stone walls. She wrapped her cloak tighter around her as Martin walked closer with two cups of warm tea. She returned his smile.

"She's a good singer. I see promise in her." She took her cup from Martin and blew over the warm brew before drinking it.

Martin watched her before he sat down. "It'll cool down fast enough out here." He said, shivering. He looked over toward the young squirrel, who had just finished her song and sat down. "Hilrey is a wonderful singer, but she'd die of embarrassment if she knew you were listening to her. She's pretty shy."

"I'm not exactly _hiding_ from her, am I? I'm wearing a green habit and sitting by a red wall surrounded by white emptiness." Rose smiled and sipped her tea.

"She doesn't look at much, she feels more comfortable in her thoughts, I guess. She watches the ground when she walks. Peculiar of a squirrel, but no one knew her before she came here in the fall. She's still trying to fit in here."

Rose laughed quietly, so as not to disturb the next singer, the ottermaid Taerla. "Well, she isn't as good, but at least she's trying. Hilrey…another new creature? I wouldn't have known. All the creatures seem so comfortable here, like they've lived here their entire lives."

Martin leaned closer for her warmth. "This place hasn't been here long enough yet. This is one of the first winters these walls have seen."

Rose looked longingly around her. "I'd love to live in this place, forever, Martin."

He smiled. "You like it?"

Nodding energetically, she set her empty cup of tea on the snow. "The walls are warm, and strong. I trust them. Everybeast is so kind. I wouldn't fear a thing with all these strong warriors around, you in particular."

Martin watched quietly as Taerla sat down and the other maids giggled with one another. A vole, barely older than a dibbun, squealed when she looked over her friends' shoulder and saw Rose and Martin sitting against the wall. Taerla laughed, while Hilrey turned away. Taerla jumped up and ran to the couple, hopping over small snowdrifts as she did.

"Hello Martin, Rose. I see you came for entertainment." Taerla bowed dramatically. The group of young maids watched them.

Martin smiled, not unkindly, wanting to be alone with Rose again. "We've been her for awhile, young otter, before you came out to the orchard."

Taerla smiled and winked. "Ah. I see. Well, Rose, are any of us'ns as good as you?"

Rose stood and started walking toward the maids. Martin set his cup down and stood, not wanting to go with her. He liked the young maids of Redwall, but they could be rather loud when they were all together. Taerla laughed and joined Rose, who by then was standing in front of the squirrelmaid, Hilrey.

"You have a beautiful voice, Hilrey."

The young squirrel looked up, her face bright with hope. "I do?"

Rose laughed. "Quite! Do you sing much?"

"By myself…I guess I don't talk much at all, ma'am."

Smiling, she shook her head. "Don't call me ma'am. I'm Rose. You should talk more. You should sing more! You have so much promise with your voice!"

Hilrey blushed from head to tail.

Martin walked slowly up to them, holding their empty cups in his paws. "Rose has a beautiful voice, but she can make some dreadful sounds, too."

Rose laughed when Martin winked at her.

The young vole asked squeakily. "Like what?"

"Only Rose the Terrible knows!" Martin laughed and began walking back to the Abbey.

Rose forced a smile, winked and waved goodbye to the maids and she ran to join Martin. Her smile was gone when she joined him, her face now serious. Martin was still smiling until he saw her face. He stopped in his tracks.

"What, Rose?"

"That's the first time I've heard to refer to 'the past'."

He shook his head, smiling. "That was a good time. Remember Grumm…"

Rose gave him a stern stare. "I remember as well as you do, Martin." She began walking to the Abbey. Great Hall was empty when they entered and Martin pulled her to the side, unwilling to let it drop. "I never said you didn't, but…"

"Do you, or do you not, intend on telling these Redwallers our history?"

"I was going to tell them, just not right away…"

"Why!? Why didn't you ever tell them! Did you forget me?" Rose yelled.

Martin stared at her, blank faced. To give her paws something to do, she grabbed the cups and sat them on the table, rearranging them as she talked. "Why didn't you ever talk about me? Not even your best friend knows who I am. You never talked about any of it. It's like you threw us away. Don't we matter to you anymore? I haven't mentioned it until now, because I'd never heard you mention anything, but…"

"Rose, Rose…" He said, walking up to her, but still keeping his distance. "You misunderstand. I couldn't talk about you because I missed you. All of you, so much. I couldn't bear to think about any of you…"

She turned toward him. "Why?" she asked coldly.

"Because I loved you! And I thought you were dead! And if you were dead, then so was I, so what did the most important part of my life matter?"

Rose's eyes softened. "So when do you plan on telling them?"

"Some other time, Rose, I don't even know the whole story yet..."

"Oh?"

Martin stared her in her eyes, his gray ones now icy. "You haven't told me something very, very important, Rose. I don't know the whole story, either!"

Rose grew angry again. "And you won't, either! Not until these Redwallers know!"

"Don't you think the story of you being alive is a bit more personal than that?"

"It's just a story!"

"Rose!" he yelled loudly, now fully angry. "How are you alive? Now? How are you here with me?"

Silence fell between them. Rose shook her head disbelievingly. "You still don't completely believe me, do you?"

Martin's voice broke. "I don't know what to believe…"

"That I'm really here? Alive, with you?"

The warrior nodded wordlessly.

"Martin…how can you not believe me? I loved you most…I…" Rose shut her mouth, turned, and walked away.

Martin walked dumbfounded to the kitchens. He was numb. He couldn't understand why Rose would be so mad that he'd never mentioned her. Why, all of the sudden, she was so angry with him. Walking into the kitchens, he found them full of life. He took in the scene.

Gonff, as usual, was being chased about by various cooks as they protected their food like mother hens. The cooks talked busily as they worked, flawlessly making what would be Redwall's dinner.

Martin's heart fell. Since Rose showed up, he hadn't given much time to Redwall, and, most importantly, to his best friend.

The mousethief was at last pushed away by an angry cook. As Gonff walked by, Martin smiled at him. In turn, Gonff frowned.

"What's the matter, Martin? Lookin' for Rose?"

Martin shook his head. "No, matey, I was looking for you."

Gonff smiled then, even though he was slightly confused. The two friends walked outside again, making a beeline to the gatehouse. Rose watched them from the infirmary window. Hearing their laughter drift toward her, she sighed.

"Afternoon to ye, Rose."

Rose jumped and turned to face the speaker, the Squirrel Queen, Lady Amber. "For give me, Lady Amber, you startled me."

The squirrel shrugged. "Call me Amber. No worries about it, missie. I was just here to find a pillow for the dibbuns, and to clean up a bit." She walked to where Rose stood. Looking out the window, she saw Martin and Gonff enter the gatehouse. She smiled. "Away from our warrior? Why?"

Rose shook with anger. "We had a fight, because he never told any of you anything about him. About how he used to be, about us, about me…"

"Hold hard, fair missy!"

Confused, Rose stopped.

"P'raps was for the best. Martin's a mouse of few words. If it doesn't need to be said, he won't say it. What good would it have done to hear the story? It must be a sad one, and Martin wouldn't abide being pitied. You see?"

Silently, Rose nodded.

Amber smiled. "I've always wondered about our warrior, and I wonder a lot about you. That first day you were here…something about you being…dead?"

Rose smiled. "He thought I was, and he thought it was his fault. He didn't know I lived."

Lady Amber nodded, smiling down at her. "I will ask one thing, the rest is up to you and Martin to share. What exactly are you, to Martin?"

Rose laughed. "The damsel who saved him from distress."

--

Gonff sighed loudly, looking at Martin with a new confusion. "If all this is true, then I'm impressed, to be sure. But…explain again?"

Blinking heavily, Martin shook his head. "You heard me, you annoying beast."

"I want to know if I got it straight. Lemmesee… Your mom is killed, you dunno how, your dad leaves, he gave you his sword first, though. Then you run off, you get captured and put into slavery. Slavery! You? Seasons later, a beautiful mousemaid and a soup-loving mole come to save her younger brother and in turn save you, her brother, and a squirrel named Vellcrow?

"Felldoh."

"You go to a place who's name you won't tell, you get help from a bunch of peaceful creatures, go back, free the salves and kill the bad guys, but not before sir ultimate bad guy 'kills' your mousemaid. You think she's dead, you travel south, find me, and save yet another country from evil."

Martin nodded.

Gonff laughed outrageously. "No wonder you never told anybody! Goodness, Martin, is that all you do? Go around saving things? I wouldna told anyone, either! But wait…how is this Rose alive?"

Martin shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Wow. I wish I was you."

"Why?"

"Because I'd have a beautiful mousemaid traveling all over the country for me, and I'd have all these creatures that love me that I saved and… What's wrong?"

"I don't know how she could have lived. I just don't know how…"

Gonff nodded solemnly. "Oh, yeah, that'd be nice to know."

Standing up agitatedly, Martin started walking back and forth across the room.

"When'll she tell ya?"

"I dunno…she was so upset that I never told anyone about her at all…"

The mousethief suddenly laughed. Stopping a short distance from him, Martin scowled at him. "I don't see what's so funny."

Gonff shrunk, smiling mischievously, under his gaze. "It's like you two are already married, Martin." He burst out laughing again. "Martin the Warrior—married! What a thought!" Gonff saw the look of revelation on his friends face. "You don't mean…. You wanna marry her!"

Smiling, Martin flew past Gonff, heading for the door. "I think you just solved my problem, Gonff!"

"What!? Marriage isn't the end of your problems…it's the beginning! Matey, it's a trap…"

But Martin was already gone.

Sitting down and pouring another glass of ale, he mumbled, "A beautiful, blissful trap."

Martin searched around the Abbey for two hours without finding Rose. Slightly panicked, he went looking for some creature who'd know where she was. That first creature he saw was Taerla.

"Taerla, Taerla, please, please say you know where Rose is?"

Taerla shrugged absentmindedly. "I thought she'd be with you."

Martin snorted angrily as he went searching again.

Lady Amber walked up to Taerla, giving her a large basket of wrinkled linen. "You'll wash these, right?"

Taerla hitched the basket on her hip. "Yeah. You'd better talk to Martin. He's all jumpy."

"How so?"

"He's looking for Rose. He looks anxious about somethin'. Why's that, you think?"

The squirrel chieftain smiled and kicked Taerla lightly on her leg. "None o' your business. Now get to work, you!"

"Yes ma'am!" Taerla laughed as she marched off. Amber went to look for Martin. She found him leaning against the wall on the stairway. She sat on the opposite side.

"Lookin' for her?"

Martin nodded.

"Why?"

Rolling his eyes, Martin frowned at her. "Do I need a reason?"

Amber shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

Sighing, Martin jumped up. "I hope she didn't leave, I feel horrible about it now… Ill look for her again…"

After Martin had taken a few steps down, Amber called after him. "She's in the infirmary!"

Martin turned around and ran up toward the infirmary.

Rose stretched higher as she placed another folded linen on the top shelf. Cleaning up the infirmary had really calmed her mind. She set her thinking on folding the sheet and fluffing the pillowcases, knowing that as soon as she saw Martin their fight would be resolved. She heard somebeast turning the knob as she grabbed another linen and turned around to see Martin in the doorway. He stepped forward, his face anxious.

"Forgive me, I'm sorry…"

Rose smiled. "I overreacted. I tend to do that. It's ok." She turned around and started folding the bed sheet. "I talked to Amber. She's right, really, the past is up to the teller to tell." Finishing, she went to place the sheet on top of the last.

Martin looked at the floor. "You know me. I keep the things that hurt me hidden…so that they can't hurt me again."

Rose smiled sadly. "Has everything that's happened to you outside of Mossflower something that hurt you?"

He didn't respond.

Rose walked up to him and threw her arms around him. "Let's change that, then. We'll make our history a happy one." Slowly letting go, she walked over and picked another bed sheet out of a basket on the floor.

"How about right now?"

"I'm happy, Martin, happier than I've ever been. Aren't you?"

"And how about our future, Rose, can we make that happy?"

Rose stacked another folded bed sheet on the stack and grabbed another. "I don't see why not. How couldn't it be? Any future here would be happy."

"How happy would you be here if you were married to me?"

Smiling brightly, Rose swung the bed sheet and hit Martin on his side. "You stupid warrior, I've been waiting a long time for you to ask me. Of all the happy futures, that would be the happiest."

Martin smiled as he took Rose in his arms. "Then that's the future we'll have."


End file.
